tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71859602347213810172018-03-06T12:04:12.895-05:00To Ukraine and BackCJnoreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-13896045314201924212010-04-19T10:45:00.010-04:002010-04-19T15:05:55.496-04:00Birthday PartyAnother Birthday party success! 9 Years old, I can't believe it. For some reason my parties don't stay to the normal 1-2 hours. Oh no, they just keep going and going.....I hate to stop the kids when they are having fun though. <br /><br />This year "Pretty Pony Parties" came to entertain. Yep, I'm not a good entertainer at all. Normally these people bring ponies, but since the kids were a little older, they brought a horse. Then she called to tell me they were going to bring 2 horses. And they still stayed the hour and a half. She even brought them a little gift and card.<br /><br />Afterwards we had lots of cake and ice cream. <br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461868094866953410" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/S8x0GBSVlMI/AAAAAAAABB4/ZyfZXHA-4B0/s400/100_2002.jpg" /><br />Sydnee's turn...... After her friend Shannon rode, she wanted to be in charge. So they let her lead Sydnee around for a bit.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461903376086092050" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/S8yULqEeSRI/AAAAAAAABCg/P1PYS0-iXSk/s400/100_1976.jpg" /><br />When Simon first went to get on the horse, he realized he had to climb "way up there" and decided that horses are "stupid" and he didn't need a dumb ole party anyway. That is his way of dealing with something he is either scared of or just doesn't want to do. But Olivia didn't hesitate to get up there.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461863497008784594" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/S8xv6Y7hpNI/AAAAAAAABBQ/y3xXLxNex_4/s400/100_1896.jpg" /><br />But I turned my back and 5 min later he was up on that horse. I was thrilled. Heights aren't Simon's strong point. He will just avoid things if he thinks he may fail. But I praised him up and down. So he rode several rides and then even let Ethan ride with him. Ethan got a lot of rides because he was so small and just went along with who ever would take him.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461920658825429170" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/S8yj5pSoQLI/AAAAAAAABCo/wCSKUaPz0c0/s400/100_1968.jpg" /><br />Sydnee decided it was her turn. Shannon was chomping at the bit waiting until they would let her lead someone around by herself.<br /><div> </div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/S8yULKuGPPI/AAAAAAAABCY/Dxj2s3uzbZk/s1600/100_1964.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461903367670742258" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/S8yULKuGPPI/AAAAAAAABCY/Dxj2s3uzbZk/s400/100_1964.jpg" /></a> And she is getting her chance. <div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/S8yUKM6beWI/AAAAAAAABCQ/GMZf5qaqNnE/s1600/100_1962.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461903351079467362" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/S8yUKM6beWI/AAAAAAAABCQ/GMZf5qaqNnE/s400/100_1962.jpg" /></a> Aubrey and Haleigh were having a ball. I knew Aubrey loved horses, but had no idea Haleigh would enjoy it like she did.<br /><div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/S8x0GkHfz3I/AAAAAAAABCA/k6TQ4nSNLOg/s1600/100_1992.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461868104216727410" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/S8x0GkHfz3I/AAAAAAAABCA/k6TQ4nSNLOg/s400/100_1992.jpg" /></a> And Simon up for one more ride.</div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461863917613465826" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/S8xwS3zfwOI/AAAAAAAABBY/KlyAiUE3dxA/s400/100_1902.jpg" /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461866330834669810" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/S8xyfVwREPI/AAAAAAAABBo/kroWR7xA5ZI/s400/100_1907.jpg" /> <div><div>Nothing like a nice group photo.</div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461868094514925378" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/S8x0F_-aD0I/AAAAAAAABBw/vPyZKS-ID6Q/s400/100_1958.jpg" /> <div><div><div><div><div></div><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>CJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-76249979192096350052010-04-12T22:25:00.004-04:002010-04-12T22:38:18.270-04:00A story that many of us international adopting parents liveHere is a story regarding a tragic situation with a 7 yr old Russian boy. The sad thing is that the parent didn't go for help anywhere. There are resources out there, but you definitely have to hunt and find. But for parents of biological children have a hard time understanding why we go to the lengths we do to help our adopted children. I have actually had someone tell me "if you would just take your kids out of therapy and let them just be kids they would be better off. They don't stand a chance with a parent like you". This came from someone with a biological child/ren who didn't have a horrible time raising their child/ren. I really felt it unfair for them to say this comment when they had no idea what we were going through with our children. Especially since they had only seen my kids a couple of times. So here is the story below. The drastic measure isn't that common, but sadly the story is. As a parent to one or more of these hildren, it is exhausting and makes you constantly question yourself as to if what you are doing is the right thing. But then you have to snap into reality; is your child better here or back in their home country. These kids don't stand a chance over there. <br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;"><em>(April 12) -- When Torry Hansen sent her 7-year-old adoptive son </em></span><a href="http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/us-mother-torry-ann-hansen-ships-adopted-son-back-to-russia/19433604" target="_self" jquery1271125164285="13"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;"><em>back to his Russian homeland</em></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;"><em> alone on a one-way flight last week, part of her note to authorities said the boy had</em></span><a href="http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/starkly-different-portraits-of-adopted-russian-artyom-justin-savelyev-emerge/19434913" target="_self" jquery1271125164285="14"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;"><em> "severe psychopathic issues"</em></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;"><em> and she no longer wished to parent him. Hansen's mother, Nancy, later told The Associated Press her adoptive grandson threatened to burn down their house and kill their family members. Adoption experts and psychologists now say Hansen had several options in coping with Artyom "Justin" Savelyev's alleged behavioral problems, including consulting her adoption agency, family pediatrician, social worker or even Tennessee's child protective services."If you're in crisis, you need to reach out," Sue Gainor, national chairperson of Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption, told AOL News. "Nobody should be alone in crisis, because it results in rash decisions."<br /><br />Rossia 1 Television Channel / AP<br />Artyom "Justin" Savelyev, the 7-year-old boy sent back to Russia by his adoptive American mother last week, gets into a minivan outside the police department office in Moscow on Thursday.As Russia weighs a freeze on adoptions in the U.S., the Hansen case is shining new light on "disrupted" adoptions, which occur when a family decides to relinquish custody of an adopted son or daughter. Though experts said statistical data are spotty in recording the number of disrupted international adoptions in the U.S., Nashville adoption attorney Bob Tuke, a longtime member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, said broken adoptions like that of Hansen and Savelyev are generally uncommon."It's so rare to hear about anything as extreme as the Hansen case, but sometimes disrupted adoptions do happen," Tuke told AOL News. "In the very few times I've seen it in my experience, it's been because the parent simply could not parent the child. There was an inability to deal with the child physically or emotionally."Children adopted from Russia can come with severe emotional and psychological problems stemming from their time in the country's orphanage system, where children may suffer neglect and abuse. Fetal alcohol syndrome is also a prevalent problem among Russian orphans. These circumstances could lead to attachment and behavioral disorders among Russian adoptees that may make it difficult for them to bond with the American parents who adopt them."Some of these children have never been loved, since birth. They haven't been held, and they aren't allowed experiences that help them develop their senses. ... They don't even know what a parent is," Chuck Johnson, vice president and chief operating officer at the National Council for Adoption, told AOL News. "We bring them to the U.S. and put them in a brightly colored room with lots of noisy toys, and we think that's supposed to make them happy when, really, it can hurt their integration process."Hansen described her adopted son as "mentally unstable" and "violent." Such behavioral problems are consistent with special-needs children transitioning out of international orphanage institutions. Development delays, attachment disorders and problems with self-control and aggression are among the difficulties international adoptees confront, according to Joseph LaBarbera, a clinical psychologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center who works with international adoptees.Parents are often unprepared for the challenges of raising a son or daughter recovering from severe trauma. Hansen's mother said her daughter was lied to about Savelyev's well-being because the Russian orphanage wanted to get rid of him."A subset of these kids are very difficult to deal with. ... The usual interventions like counseling or medication or brief hospitalization are sometimes not sufficient," LaBarbera told AOL News. "Certain kids are born in this world that are damaged by their early treatment, and years later those problems come home to roost."Nancy Hansen also told the AP that her daughter did not seek professional psychological help for Savelyev before sending him back to Russia. Adoption advocates like Johnson say that was a grave mistake."We know that they had options. They did not have to resort to these drastic measures," Johnson told AOL News. "Here she is, a nurse. ... She could have talked to a pediatrician, received a referral for a child psychologist, reached out to her placing adoption agency. There are programs for families who want to disrupt their adoptions."All of the experts interviewed by AOL News pointed to educational resources at their Web sites for parents of international adoptees. They also pointed to state protective services as last-ditch efforts."What you don't do is put your 7-year-old adoptive son back on a plane to Russia," Tuke said. "It often takes work and help. ... We think love conquers all, but sometimes love needs a little help."Despite the outcry over Hansen's actions, LaBarbera cautions against rash judgment against her."The woman was vilified, demonized for what was obviously not an ideal solution to the problem, but the problems are often very difficult to deal with," he said. "Some of the parents, their lives have been dramatically changed as a result of these very impaired children who were damaged in orphanages. They deal with some pretty difficult to control kids, and I feel sorry for them."Gainor stressed that the majority of international adoptions are success stories."Individual crises occur and they're tragic, but the larger outcome is that thousands of children have been adopted into loving, happy homes," she said. "Most parents work really, really hard to help their children that they love. We don't want one crisis to paint a very broad picture of adoption."The Russian government hopes Savelyev will be welcomed into a loving home back in his native country. Three families have come forward voicing their desire to adopt him.That wish was echoed by Johnson. "My hope is that the child can find a home that will meet his needs," he said. </em></span>CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-44661089332861878782010-03-11T21:15:00.002-05:002010-03-11T21:41:35.175-05:00I can't believe2 months have gone by already. There has been a lot going on. To begin the year I went to go see a house that was offered to me for a retreat house. Actually it was brought up around the first of December, but I just wasn't thinking it would work. After the holidays were over I gave it more thought and figured that it couldn't hurt to at least go look at it. Oh my goodness. When I walked in, I knew it was meant to be. After looking at all 3 floors, I was sold. In February I closed on the house and will take possession around April 1. I am so excited. This is the answer to a dream come true. I have prayed daily for guidance on this massive project. So far everything has fallen into place one piece at a time. I am in awe of everything that has worked out. There is a little construction that needs to be done in the walk out basement to open it up, but other than that it is just paint. You can see details by going to <a href="http://www.thecapecodretreat.com/">www.thecapecodretreat.com</a>. I still can't believe it's going to happen. We're taking names of volunteers who are interested in coming April 16-18, air mattresses and all to paint and clean. And of course I will take help any other time too.<br /><br />The kids have been doing pretty well for the most part. We have had trouble with Sydnee acting out in class which we met with the principal this morning. Simon has done well up until they started practicing for the spring program. This is a very intense practice. The program is tomorrow, so it will be over soon. He just doesn't do well in large crowds. Especially if he walks into the crowd instead of the crowd coming slowly to him. But he is doing way better than he was doing several years ago. He is also learning to recognize when things don't feel right to him. Back in the days he would just blow up. But now he is figuring out what it is, what's causing it and how to deal with it without automatically blowing up. That is a huge thing for him. He is starting to feel pretty proud of that accomplishment. <br /><br />We are still looking for a home for a now 8 mo old kitten. He is beautiful and loving. But he needs a home. We have had him for 6 months now and it was always a plan to get him healthy and find him a home. And we also have a 4 mo old cockatiel who needs a family. We will probably be getting more eggs this spring and the cage isn't large enough for 3 cockatiels and a nesting box. And then with the hatchlings.<br /><br />Mike has been working on his train room in the garage. He's gotten pretty far with it.<br /><br />We have had 2 deaths in the family. These were cousins in their early 20's. I just feel for their mother and grandmothers. I can't imagine losing one of my children. So please lift them up in prayer for peace and comfort.<br /><br />I have a quilt event this weekend where I will have a booth to show quilts and of course the retreat center. I am looking forward to it. I have given out just under 500 business cards already and I haven't even gotten out there formally. We will have our open house July 2-3. I hope you join us.CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-83718165093412021062010-01-02T21:36:00.004-05:002010-01-02T22:04:06.716-05:00Happy New Year<div><div>New Years Eve started well. Everyone was being very lazy. Later in the day we had another episode with Simon. After calling his doctor, I was told to bring him up to Cinci Hospital. So I gathered our things and headed on up. It was very late when we got there. And after they decided to admit him into the other hospital it was 2:15am when I got to my hotel. I was exhausted. I headed home on Friday aroud 1pm. </div><div></div><div> </div><div>When I went to Mom's to get Sydnee, they were planning a surprise for me. I had no idea what they were doing. But she told me that Deanna and Pat were meeting us at the pizza place. Well, we got to the restaurant and they showed me a quilt Sydnee had worked on all day. There was an online quilt challenge. They would send instructions every hour for you to go onto the next step. Well, Sydnee did a wonderful job. I was amazed at how perfect her seams were. She was so excited to show me. Mom said she never wanted to take a break. She just wanted to keep on sewing. Yeah Sydnee.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422340462382432386" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/S0AF6_eIQII/AAAAAAAAA4s/QweIZLf0CWw/s400/Sydnee+2.bmp" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422340652780850946" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/S0AGGEwpjwI/AAAAAAAAA40/SaZf-9qTPxc/s400/Sydnee+3.bmp" /></div></div><br /><p>Another bit of good news is that I found two new possibilities for a retreat house. I will find more information this upcoming week. I am hoping that this will be a step in the right direction.</p>CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-70717577080604184412009-12-23T23:59:00.023-05:002010-01-14T19:30:49.744-05:00This starts as a love story. We have had Tovarysch for over a year. In July we got the male cockatiel. After a couple of months we realized they really liked each other. The funny thing is that we bought Tovarysch as a "male". Well, not so....he's a she. Well, sure enough in November they proved to us that they really are a couple. Here is the series of photos which leads up to "Little Guy". What an adventure it has been. We have enjoyed it thoroughly.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 375px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418670095048695586" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SzL7vfpo3yI/AAAAAAAAA30/yeh8MS-ghgY/s400/100_0798.jpg" /><br /><div align="center">The happy couple.</div><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418669888696715234" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SzL7je7fh-I/AAAAAAAAA3s/g-XucBJiGVc/s400/100_0797.jpg" /><br />One day I found an egg in one of the food bowls. It was ice cold so I disposed of it. Mike quickly made a laying box. Within 48 hours we had another egg. 48 hours, another and then another. We had a total of 4 eggs (not including the first one that we disposed of). While I was gone to retreat Nov 13-15, Mike called to let me know that an egg hatched. He was so excited.<br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418667745872237618" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SzL5mwSU1DI/AAAAAAAAA3k/H3iZQpa6YS8/s400/Cockatiel+Day+2.jpg" /><br /><div align="center">Two days old</div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418666591945611922" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SzL4jlkx2pI/AAAAAAAAA3c/50kTeAhM8Ro/s400/Cockatiel+Day+2_0001.jpg" /><br /><p align="center">Momma sitting on the other eggs right next to Little Guy<br /></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418663313062255858" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SzL1kuyEXPI/AAAAAAAAA10/uOqOIH_kiPg/s400/100_0917.jpg" /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418665256816030658" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SzL3V31FM8I/AAAAAAAAA20/FTf6yyCBZQQ/s400/Cockatiel+10+days.jpg" /><br /><div align="center">He's so ugly he's cute.</div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418665846548679826" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SzL34MwTTJI/AAAAAAAAA3E/ApVWh5k0xq4/s400/Cockatiel+11+Days.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 297px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418665445837571026" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SzL3g3_VA9I/AAAAAAAAA28/IZxeeE7xG-4/s400/Cockatiel+12+Days.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418665044158795506" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SzL3JfnpTvI/AAAAAAAAA2s/qhnZQkXe-w0/s400/Baby+Cockatiel+2+wks+1+day.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418663103010346562" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SzL1YgRylkI/AAAAAAAAA1s/pw_fxuBbTNc/s400/000_0112.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418664813790017682" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SzL28FbcuJI/AAAAAAAAA2k/vDMUTmJIG6g/s400/Baby+Cockatiel.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418670257094719554" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SzL747Ua-EI/AAAAAAAAA38/Ji59-UJOdPU/s400/100_1078.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418665977244155058" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SzL3_zoh_LI/AAAAAAAAA3M/V9xgxileznQ/s400/Cockatiel+Baby++3+wks+3+days.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418670491021174418" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SzL8Giw1ZpI/AAAAAAAAA4E/y0FlgwIHckA/s400/Little+Guy+4+wks+3+days.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418675857078679106" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SzMA-44o9kI/AAAAAAAAA4M/7vBXob0oNw4/s400/Little+Guy+-+New+Cockatiel+5+wks+-+5+days.jpg" /><br /><div align="center">I can't believe how fast he/she has grown.</div>CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-17974519847337484332009-11-08T02:11:00.003-05:002010-01-02T01:04:27.588-05:00AIE AuctionMom and I went to the AIE Foundation auction. This was for the school to raise money for the scholarships that parents may need if they fall on hard times. We did great! It was a lot of fun just watching people bidding back and forth. I have no idea how much they raised. They also set a goal to collect $25,000 by Dec 31. If that goal is reached, Mr Savage will let the kids shave his head. Too funny.CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-11834924691303347222009-11-04T23:04:00.002-05:002009-11-04T23:42:13.758-05:00The kids have both done well over the last month or so. They have a new psychiatrist in Cinci. So now their appointments will be in the same place at the same time. That really makes a difference. Less travel time for sure. They have a new counselor here in Louisville that will communicate with the doctors up there. But that will help with the travel as well. That was Cinci's goal. They wanted to try to make things easier on us during the school year. Speaking of school, they have both done well this year. Even the principal has stopped me in carpool multiple times to let me know he is very proud of Simon this year. That was great to hear. <br /><br />Sydnee got her casts on but was able to get them removed within 3 weeks. It was supposed to be a 4-8 week process. She was getting new casts every week. She thoroughly enjoyed Tuesday nights when she could have the casts removed for 24 hours and soak in a nice hot bath. Now she is only wearing night casts. She did very well and can actually now stand on one foot for 16+ seconds. Before it was less than 5 seconds. So this is a great change. <br /><br />We still have our little black kitten. Well he isn't tiny anymore. This little guy needs a loving home. If Mike has told me that once, I have heard it 1,000 times. He is very handsome. Solid black with big green eyes. He loves to play, but will cuddle up with you as well. Gets along with other cats and does great with kids. We just have too many little critters running around. So I would love to find him a wonderful home.<br /><br />Our cockatiels have decided to become parents. We now have 5 eggs in a nest. I have read that if the birds are under 1 year old, there is a chance their eggs won't be viable. So we'll have to wait and see. But in the meantime, they are taking turns on the nest. If they hatch, they should start around Nov 13. So if you are intersted in a cockatiel, let me know. I have already had 4 people ask if they can have one. <br /><br />I had been looking at a house to buy to use as a retreat center. But someone bought it before me. So we are looking at building. Now I am looking for a piece of property. We'll be holding our fundraiser in January. More on that later. I would love to be up and running by October 2010.CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-77672247032375783162009-10-06T11:10:00.000-04:002009-10-06T11:10:08.354-04:00American Family Association - Action Alert<a href="http://www.capwiz.com/afanet/mailapp/">American Family Association - Action Alert</a>CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-16451377509758791432009-10-02T12:07:00.004-04:002010-01-02T01:02:56.465-05:00<span style="font-family:arial;">School started in August and we have done very well so far. The first couple of weeks were great and then we ran into some issues. But the kids are doing way better now. We think it was just an adjustment thing. Simon has a hard time with transition and change, so this was a lot at one time. He likes his friends and has the same teacher, so adjusting well now.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Sydnee did well at adjusting. She doesn't have as hard a time with change.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">The school fall festival is coming up soon and the kids really can't wait. They love the cake walk and being able to just run around with their friends without mom and dad hovering over them. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">We got Simon's sleep study results and they were negative. So now it's on to figure out what is going on with him. He is still falling asleep at school for hours at a time. So this just isn't right. Now we are keeping a sleep chart to see if we can pin point when and where the problems are. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Sydnee got her leg casts on. At first she was excited. We had tried to keep her from being scared about it. Because she had to get the injections the week before. That was going to be more scary than anything else I think. They even put her flu shot in her calf too. Yikes! But it was already numb, so she didn't feel it. But she won't have them on that long, so it won't be too bad. They sure haven't slowed her down at all.</span>CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-64551278412116884532009-10-02T11:45:00.002-04:002009-10-02T12:07:21.147-04:00Oh my heavens, it is October alreadyI have been slacking in my blog entries. So I am going to try and catch up a bit. <br /><br />Meeps spent much of August and September trying to recover from Toxoplasmosis. After her surgery for the polyp, she was doing so well. Her little head tilt was much better, she was playing and all. But all of a sudden her back legs were getting stiff. As days rolled on she started having something like seizures. Very scary so such a small kitten. She never reached 2 pounds. But two weeks ago after another hospital stay and several specialists, she lost her battle. This disease is horrible to watch. But the whole time you would just keep thinking she just needed a little therapy to help her legs move, etc. Everyone loved her. She went on 3 retreats and had a lot of loving friends. It's been very hard without her. I was handfeeding her 5 times a day, watering more often than that. She couldn't walk, so I had to carry her everywhere. She went to the office, appointments, etc with me. I couldn't leave her in the car because of he heat and I had to keep a very close eye on her the whole time. She was so lovable. But in the end the stiffness moved up to her neck and it wasn't going to be good. So I had to make the decision whether she was living for me or her. No one can put a finger on why she seemed so special. <br />You can go to my facebook page and see all kinds of photos of her. Thanks to Dr. Wolf for helping her so much of the way.CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-87019975981377950482009-08-23T22:23:00.005-04:002009-10-02T11:43:07.905-04:00Mother in LawWell a lot has gone on for the last week. First my mother in law fell on Monday when she tried to look out her window. The new nurse she was getting ready to have coming to the house recommended she go to the ER because she wasn't very coherant and seemed to be having a lot of trouble standing. They ran labs and found her white blood count was very high. They decided to then to do a spinal tap. Nothing showed up. They called in a neurologist and infectious disease doc and with a scan they determined she had cancer of the brain, bones, kidneys, liver and pancreas. How can someone have this much cancer and have no symptoms. Later determined that she was on so much medication for other ailments that is was just masking the pain and symptoms. They didn't feel very hopeful that there would be much time. Today is Sunday and she passed away around 8PM. I had visited her after a retreat and then headed to my Mom's to pick up my kids. Bless her heart she was helping watch the kids since Angela and Mike needed to spend a lot of time at the hospital. She had to be tired.<br /><br />Meeps had a neurologist appointment on Monday morning to try to figure out what is going on with her. She got out of the vet on Friday with no fever or fluid on the lungs, but she still couldn't walk and just didn't look good to me. After an appointment for over an hour with Dr. Wolfe, she told me she thinks she could know what is wrong with her. But they would need to do a more thorough oral exam. She asked if she could do that. A couple of hours later she called to tell me that Meeps had a polyp over her soft palette that was the size of a nickle. She thought she would be much better now. Well, sure enough, she is eating much more, although it is still kitten formula and canned A/D. She isn't doing well on dry food at all. Right now she is cuddled up on my shoulder and snoring.<br /><br />Well it's time for me to hit the hay. I am tired and the morning will be here before we know it.CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-69525691977136003842009-08-13T23:33:00.006-04:002009-10-02T11:44:34.714-04:00Update on Meeps<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SoTeUA2PRFI/AAAAAAAAAzE/LSQj_J8ilaM/s1600-h/Meeps+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369661091138716754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SoTeUA2PRFI/AAAAAAAAAzE/LSQj_J8ilaM/s400/Meeps+2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Meeps has been in the hospital since Monday morning. She kept spiking a fever over the weekend. Mike had taken the kids to the lake, so I was catering to her all weekend with icing her down, giving cool baths, etc. On Monday morning I took her back to the vet and she has been there ever since. She is so pitiful. When I come to the vets office, they bring her to me all wrapped up in a babies receiving blanket. The staff has fallen in love with her as everyone else has. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">She has been on IV fluids, antibiotics, steroids, nebulizer treatments and being hand fed. The pneumonia had gotten pretty bad. But today when I saw her, she could actually breathe without gergling. She could even breathe through her mouth. That is improvement. She is still very tiny and has a lot of growing to do. So I don't know how it will all play out in the end. But she has been fighting her way through. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">So just say some prayers for this little one and hope she comes home soon all healthy and bright eyed. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div>CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-72054271471844537602009-08-07T13:09:00.003-04:002010-02-11T13:14:27.290-05:00Update on MeepsMike took the kids to the lake this past weekend and I had a sit and sew with my quilting friends. Then I was determined to work on the room downstairs. I want to be able to get the kids toys moved out of their rooms and down there. So in the end I did manage to get it started and about 1/2 done. When they got back, Sydnee was smiling from ear to ear. She was loving the idea.<br /><br />During all of this I am still taking care of Meeps. We had been told last week that she has pneumonia. She has been running a high fever (103.5-104.9). She is wanting to sleep all the time. No interest in eating unless you hand feed. Even then she isn't overly thrilled to eat or drink. I have been giving her ice water, lay her on a gel pad to help cool down, gave her a cool bath, give her the meds and keep taking her temp. I feel so bad for her. So on Monday morning she went back to the vet after no success in getting the temp down. So she is now in the hospital on IV's with antibiotics. They were able to get the temp to 102.7 so far. They will call me tomorrow.<br /><br />We're in Cinci tonight and this is our last overnight stay for a while. I am looking forward to the break. We don't come back until Oct 1 for Sydnee's castings.CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-18450758461664491562009-08-06T12:38:00.010-04:002009-08-10T23:50:02.672-04:00Yes, school is almost here!<span style="font-family:arial;">Time is ticking. Starting to gather the supplies needed for school which begins on August 17. The kids are looking forward to it as well. We have gotten some new clothes and working on the shoe issue. Simon is in the inbetween range of shoe sizes from boys to mens. Yes, he wears a size 6-61/2. He is always putting on my garden boots, flip flops and all. He just thinks it's halarious. He is growing way too fast for me.</span><br /><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">Sydnee just has narrow feet and they are flat. You can't find many choices with arches in them. They are making most kids shoes with flat inserts. I guess we may have to get arch supports to put in them. </span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">As we have been taking care of the little gray kitten (Meeps), we keep finding more and more things she has wrong with her. I am beginning to think that we have a special needs kitty on our hands right now. I haven't even tried to adopt her out yet. I took her to our regular vet when she was still having alot of head tilting and gurgling sounds. Come to find out her upper respiratory in the lungs was much better. No crackles. That was good news. And she no longer has an ear infection is wonderful news. BUT she has a ruptured eardrum on the left side, explaining the left head tilt. And has a respiratory virus which has to just ride out on it's own. It's all in the nasal passages and sinuses. So it will be another 6-8 weeks for healing. Hopefully that will take care of it. Simon's didn't grow back and had surgery if you remember. So she's still on antibiotic for a few more days and she just has to be watched for any other signs. In the meantime she is just a tiny adorable kitten that is one of the most loving kittens I have ever seen. Smokey and Maggie have been so good with her. They even let her eat their food first and leave their bowls during the day so she can nibble. That is completely unheard of from those two. They usually eat every drop at once like their afraid someone will take it. I have noticed that Meeps isn't growing very much either. She isn't near the size of other kittens we have had at this age. She is almost 4 months old and still looks like8-10 weeks.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366915970964204594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/Snsdo_SxLDI/AAAAAAAAAy8/SYejxVCasu0/s400/100_0371.jpg" border="0" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">Last Thursday our family headed to Chicago. Yep! All of us. I had a conference from Fri-Sun, so Mike was able to take the kids to sightsee. They had a ball and were very tired at the end. They got to go to the Lego Discovery Center, Build a Bear, The Navy Pier and ride several rides, eat at Bubba Gump Shrimp, ride a boat on Lake Michigan for a tour. By Sunday they were exhausted. We got back home about 11:30 at night. Then I had two early morning appointments on Monday so I had to get up early. Then a 4:00, 5:00 and 7-9:00 appt with the kids. Then had to head to Cinci for 3 appts at 8:00am, 9am, and 10:30 am. We were all so tired. As soon as we finished we headed right back to the hotel and were able to take a 1 hour nap with a late checkout. But we could have all used more than that. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">At 6 pm we had to be back to the hospital downtown for Simons sleep study. That also meant after getting special approval that Sydnee was able to stay with us that her and I slept in a fold out chair together. Oh my, another sleepless night. On Tues at 7am, we were out of the hospital and on our way home. The kids slept all the way home. Simon even fell asleep in the booth eating breakfast at Bob Evans. I couldn't wait to get home. Simon fell back to sleep and slept until 2:30pm. Poor thing, he doesn't do well with any kind of schedule changes that take any sleep away. But that's ok as long as he gets sleep later. We'll get the results about his sleep study in a couple of weeks. </span></div><br /><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366914176870583634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SnscAjxhDVI/AAAAAAAAAys/zTQBzUodoxw/s400/Sleep+Study.jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:85%;">Simon all hooked up to the monitors. Doesn't he look cute. LOL....</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;">==============================================</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;">The next morning Sydnee wanted to help the nurse, so she was trying to get the glue off of Simon's face. See they really do love each other.</span><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366914536403496946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SnscVfI17_I/AAAAAAAAAy0/CCcXNo2IJ-0/s400/Sleep+Study_0001.jpg" border="0" /> Well it seems that our mystery vegetable turns out to definitely be a pumpkin. They are all nearly the same size and shape. I can't wait to taste what they are like.<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366913592293461586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SnsbeiDeDlI/AAAAAAAAAyc/qiqWVa8-UG4/s400/100_0370.jpg" border="0" /> </div></div>CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-5703439298659358172009-07-25T12:09:00.012-04:002010-02-11T13:21:30.555-05:00Miscellaneous Pictures<span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">It </span>started off looking like a plant for cucumbers, squash, etc. But now it seems like they may be pumpkins. I was hoping for watermelon, but pumpkins will work too. They are getting quite large. So I do hope it is something l can put up in the freezer for pies. We love pumpkin pies. I noticed today they are actually starting to turn orange.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/Smswcz0E_oI/AAAAAAAAAyU/PWdapN9bVEw/s1600-h/IMG00103-20090718-1504.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362433052817817218" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/Smswcz0E_oI/AAAAAAAAAyU/PWdapN9bVEw/s400/IMG00103-20090718-1504.jpg" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SmswGG5M4XI/AAAAAAAAAyE/C7IfgI98xb4/s1600-h/IMG00054-20090625-1153.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362432662802588018" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SmswGG5M4XI/AAAAAAAAAyE/C7IfgI98xb4/s400/IMG00054-20090625-1153.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-family:Arial;">Sydnee was able to make a seam in a quilt during the Sewing Expo in Sharonville, OH. She loved it! Although it's hard to tell by the intense look on her face.</span><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/Smsv6Bnx3FI/AAAAAAAAAx8/6SDX2KEO_6o/s1600-h/100_0212.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362432455228906578" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/Smsv6Bnx3FI/AAAAAAAAAx8/6SDX2KEO_6o/s400/100_0212.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;">During the retreat in July, this momma and her fawn were just prancing through the field behind us. We then saw them run across the highway as we held our breath.</span><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/Smsvpgw7IuI/AAAAAAAAAx0/1zVq3II0gg0/s1600-h/100_0210.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362432171530986210" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/Smsvpgw7IuI/AAAAAAAAAx0/1zVq3II0gg0/s400/100_0210.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;">Also during the retreat I had the little kitten with me. So here are some shots of being completely spoiled.</span><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SmsvPAgmw1I/AAAAAAAAAxs/E9aHKSPzG9A/s1600-h/100_0202_0001.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 370px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362431716196008786" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SmsvPAgmw1I/AAAAAAAAAxs/E9aHKSPzG9A/s400/100_0202_0001.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;">Granny Kathy</span><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/Smsu_QvGs5I/AAAAAAAAAxk/RZ-U3y5XKtU/s1600-h/100_0198.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362431445673882514" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/Smsu_QvGs5I/AAAAAAAAAxk/RZ-U3y5XKtU/s400/100_0198.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SmsuwWr9eJI/AAAAAAAAAxc/x05nK4esm4c/s1600-h/100_0192.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362431189573269650" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SmsuwWr9eJI/AAAAAAAAAxc/x05nK4esm4c/s400/100_0192.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> Her famous little head tilt. </span><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SmsubfZ8xGI/AAAAAAAAAxU/Ylfa-5rryT0/s1600-h/100_0191.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362430831136392290" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SmsubfZ8xGI/AAAAAAAAAxU/Ylfa-5rryT0/s400/100_0191.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> Granma Pat</span> <div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-17352468258497507052009-07-25T10:38:00.002-04:002009-07-25T12:01:20.618-04:00Now we're catching up<span style="font-family:arial;">This past weekend was great. Kids did well again and I got more done around the house. While we've been gone in and out of town, my friend Jill has been taking are of the little grey kitten. She has done very well with her. Now keep in mind that she isn't really a cat person. She prefers dogs.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">On Tuesday it was back to Cincinnati for more appointments. Simon saw Dr. Bukuvalas for the vomiting issue we have. Of course though he hasn't done it for about 2 months. But he was doing it several times a week while watching tv or playing. He wasn't eating or anything. He would tell me he couldn't figure out what happened because he didn't feel sick. For now we're going to watch it and keep a journal of the hows and whys when it happens again.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Simon also had another speech evaluation. His pronunciations are good, but his pragmatic speech is where the problems are. He runs all of his words together because he speaks so fast. His vocabulary is quite extensive too. But they attribute that to the Aspbergers. We're on the list for the Kelly O'Leary Center and U of L Autism Center. It will be months before we can get in. But hopefully they will pinpoint what we can do to help. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">And then it was back home again. I was so tired. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Friday was a little simpler, but long. Sydnee had an appointment to get her hair cut, and I had an open house that evening in Jtown. And then we had to fit in another vet appointment. "Meeps" (the grey kitten) has a head tilt to the left. She can nearly look back to the sky with the direction she turns it. It's been like that, but it was getting worse again. She is up to 2.1# now and eats well. Come to find out she has a perforated ear drum from the infection. And her poor nose is all clogged up. That explains the breathing noise she has. And why she tilts her head. She'll get a fever off and on too. Usually 103.5-104. She acts just like a child would with a high fever. She'll lay around, sleep, light eating, little drinking, etc. So we are continuing the antibiotics, and he gave her a worm booster. I didn't realize there are several stages of de-worming when they do it as a small kitten. Even though she doesn't have worms. We're now up to $256 in vet bils for a $15 kitten that I didn't plan on keeping. The vet said she was a keeper. She is so calm, loves to be held, will sleep in your arms, snores in a cute way right now, and loves to play. Very different than some kittens I have had in the past. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span>CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-10243560549108305392009-07-25T10:25:00.002-04:002009-07-25T10:38:51.809-04:00July 13-17<span style="font-family:arial;">This has been a very strange week around here. Sydnee is home but Simon isn't. It has also been very quiet. Mike is working 12 hour days (7-7). I got some things done around the house. I cancelled my open house for Tuesday. I'm just not up to it with all that is going on. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Tuesday was a meeting with the doctor and nurse. It went well. And Simon is doing well also. They are hoping he can go home by Friday. We visited with Simon after he finished lunch. He turned off the lights in his room and said "I have to have quiet time now. I don't have to sleep, but I have to be quiet". He layed down and asked me to lay with him. He fell asleep within 2 minutes after he asked me to rub his back. They told me he seemed to be very tired. We had noticed that a lot too. It was nice to visit with him and for him to want me to rub his back.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">On Thursday he was discharged. He was anxious to leave with Sydnee and I. He had earned a lot of bucks to use at the little store they had. He bought all kinds of things there. And some of them were from Sydnee, which I thought was very nice. We headed to the hotel because we had an appointment at 8am on Friday morning up there. And then it was home we went. It was nice to have us all back together under one roof. Simon and Sydnee were playing so well together. He was being so polite and saying please, thank you, I'm sorry, etc. And all without being told.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span>CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-54862775705376119152009-07-25T07:16:00.003-04:002009-07-25T10:25:31.553-04:00July 10-12<span style="font-family:arial;">Until this morning. I had packed the car last night so that all I would have to do was get dressed to leave for my quilt retreat. I needed to leave at 9:15am to be there on time. Everything was very smooth and there wasn't rushing around or anything. I was able to spend more time with the kids before I left and straighten up a little. And then.....</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">2 Minutes before I left out the door, Simon started being irritable. I couldn't figure out why. There didn't seem to be any reasoning behind it. He just kept saying he didn't know why. Well, within minutes he was at a full blown rage. For over an hour he was violent, screaming, calling everyone names, etc. He kept threatening me and himself. After one hour and 15 minutes, I had to realize that it isn't physically possible for me to hold him like I need to. He is so big now and when he's like that he is even stronger than ever. I had spoken to the doctor last night about it and she told me that she wanted me to bring him in if he got like that again. So I told Mike to get his clothes, and pack a backpack to head to Cincinnati. I was an emotional wreck by then and wasn't sure how I would handle 2 hours in the car with him. So Mike drove him up there and spent 13 hours in the ER. They had taken them straight back as soon as they got there because they knew he was coming, so that was good. But it took a while to process and decide what the plan was. Later Mike called to tell me that they were transferring him to the College Hill Campus. He got settled in and Mike was heading home. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">I took Sydnee with me to the retreat, which wasn't as nice as most because I cried the entire weekend. But I had a lot of people to give me hugs. I had also taken the grey kitten with me since she was on medicine multiple times of the day after seeing the second vet because she wasn't getting any better. Her eyes were better, but they had to change her antibiotic because she now has and upper respiratory infection and ear infection on top of everything else. She now weighs 1.6#. The antibiotic she was on wouldn't help the upper respiratory. So she gave her a penicillin injection and meds. Everyone at the retreat fell in love with her. She got more lovins that I ever thought she would have. But she needed them.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">I did get a little done at the retreat, but I just couldn't help but to think of Simon. We visited him on Sunday evening. He wasn't thrilled to see us at all. But I had a feeling that would be the case. They are going to start medication adjustments on Monday. He hasn't had any changes in a year and he has grown a lot. So I would think it would certainly be time. They had him on a strict routine and schedule which he seemed to like a lot. We were thinking back to when this all seemed to be starting up and we think it was about a week after school was out. So it made sense that he would like it.</span>CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-87858240535952167832009-07-25T07:02:00.002-04:002009-07-25T07:16:15.395-04:00July 7, 2009<span style="font-family:arial;">Today was another day of appointments. The kids had reading lab at school, then to the chiropractor and then I had an appointment with my rheumatologist. After he saw me this time, he decided to go ahead and start treatments. I was worried about that, because I know the medicines can be pretty wicked. I have more swollen joints and he measures them and puts them on a diagram on my chart. Several had moved to a 4 from a 1 or 2 and then there were some added ones. My left pinky finger has been hurting so bad I can't even wrap the steering wheel with it. It literally burns from the hand to the last knuckle. So tomorrow I will start on <a href="http://www.drugs.com/methotrexate.html">Methotrexate</a> and Folic Acid. I take 7 tablets of the Methotrexate one day a week and the Folic Acid daily to prevent getting the mouth sores that the Methotrexate causes. Wow, doesn't that sound like fun. So now that means going to the lab monthly to monitor its effects. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">After finishing our appointments, it was off to Cincinnati again. The kids had their weekly appointment with Dr. Parkins at 8am the next morning. Then it was back home again.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Thursday was reading lab and OT for Simon again. So not too much going on this week until......</span>CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-27575861775975270802009-07-25T06:53:00.002-04:002009-07-25T07:02:32.146-04:00Fourth of July Weekend<span style="font-family:arial;">Here it is the holiday already. On Friday, Sydnee spent the day at Jenna's house and Simon went with Mike to the lake. So I was able to do chores a lot easier. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">On Saturday, we planned to go to Mom's along with a couple of her friends. There is a neighbor behind Mom that does a large fireworks show every year. And since this year was on a Saturday we thought we would go. The kids were able to swim for a while and we all pitched in a dish. So it worked out well. After swimming all day and then staying up late, the kids were pooped! But they had fun. Mike and Simon came home early on Saturday because there were so many people at Gary's and space was getting thin. So they gave it up.</span>CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-70397582320147340202009-07-25T06:49:00.003-04:002010-02-11T13:19:59.449-05:00July 2, 2009<span style="font-family:arial;">Today I wanted to get the kittens to a vet. Instead of driving all the way out to my regular vet, I decided t take them to the Mt Washington Animal Clinic. She was willing to do the exam free and then only charge me for medicines and fecal check. So that sounded good. In the end she gave them some Revolution to prevent ear mites, fleas, ticks, etc. Then she did a fecal check and it was clear. They weighed 1.6# (black one) and 1.4# (grey one). How tiny! She decided to give them an antibiotic and an antibiotic gel for the eyes. They both had eye infections, although the black one was mild. </span>CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-56508229431284270282009-07-01T22:34:00.011-04:002010-02-11T13:19:29.031-05:00July 1, 2009<span style="font-family:arial;">I spent last weekend working on Mom's pool. She has a literal swamp and is so aggravated with it, she is ready to call in a bulldozer. So this is serious at this point. She had presumably purchased enough chemicals to get her through the entire summer. But not as it is now. After many trips to the store this week, many phone calls, etc we now have a bright blue pool, but it's still cloudy. So tomorrow is another day. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Monday was a pretty good day. I was able to get some laundry done. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Wahoo</span>!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Tuesday <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Sydnee</span> had to have nasal surgery to hopefully keep her from having so many nosebleeds. I highly recommend the "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Surgcenter</span> of Louisville" on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Dupont</span> Circle. They are great with kids. Dr. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Libson</span> the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">anesthesiolost</span> was super. He did the same thing <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cinci</span> does with sedation. He was the most kid friendly man I have ever seen. He stayed with her until we left the building. The surgery took a whole 15 minutes. I couldn't believe it. So if you have a child needing any kind of surgery that is outpatient. Then try them out. This place was great. Way better than <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kosair</span>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353690435779406818" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SkwhFhYJq-I/AAAAAAAAAw0/rmv_nKiFLoI/s400/100_0120.jpg" /></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Sydnee</span> was waiting for them to come get her. Everything went like clockwork.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353690668748983442" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SkwhTFQbTJI/AAAAAAAAAw8/fbKNGi9D9cY/s400/100_0121.jpg" /></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Now for the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">popcicle</span> that Dr. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Libson</span> promised. He just kept telling me that he just loved her.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">After leaving there we headed to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cinci</span> for out 8am appointment the next morning. I was so tired this time for some reason. We got there and the kids got ready for bed. We ate and lounged.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">We had out appointment on Wednesday morning. It went well, even though Simon had a tough start. He decided that he really didn't want to be there and the doctor was "stupid". So he proceeded to kick her, poke her, pitch things at her, etc. But he got over it finally and stopped. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">On our way home, we stopped at a rest stop in Florence to take a nap. We were all tired and slept over an hour. But we all felt much better. After that we headed to Dry Ridge to visit the quilt shop. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Well on our way there just off the exit, we saw a small pet store. So of course we had to go in. It turns out that they are closing and once you're in there, you realize why. They didn't take care of what they had there. I got bird foods for half price. They had a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">cockatiel</span> which of course we got and then there were 2 kittens for $15 each. They looked pitiful. Their eyes were all <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">gunked</span> up with infection. The owner told me she had wiped them out some, but it just kept coming back. Well duh! They are both 9 weeks old. The grey one is a female and the solid black one is male. They are adorable of course. </span><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 279px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362343706331097634" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SmrfMKNqqiI/AAAAAAAAAxE/HKxiV20j_aE/s400/100_0170.jpg" /><span style="font-family:arial;">How can you resist these little faces?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362343925316561138" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SmrfY5_3qPI/AAAAAAAAAxM/ryIqaADTl8c/s400/100_0190.jpg" /></span>CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-9161465566870723512009-06-27T14:13:00.003-04:002009-06-27T15:45:51.274-04:00Too much TV?<span style="font-family:arial;"> We left on Tuesday to go to Cincinnati. It was a beautiful day which made for a nice ride. We needed to be there at 1:00.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Simon saw the nurse who decides which type of sleep study he needs. He has labored breathing at night, will fall asleep at school quite a bit. They think he may have sleep apnea. He will go in and spend the night at Cinci Childrens to have this done. We'll probably be able to combine it with one of our other appointments. I will know on Monday when he goes in. The worse part is that they don't treat sleep apnea in children like they do adults with a Cpap machine. They do surgery. I have had the surgery, so I have been there. But I will wait for the results to be in and find out what the plan is. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">After our appointment we had dinner, we went to the Lego Store again. We love that place. We were in there well over an hour. But it's always worth it. The store was packed this time. Then it was back to the hotel to get in the pool. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">On Wednesday we had to be out of there for an 8:00 appointment. Wow was that early since I sat up until Midnight playing on thecomputer. The kids saw Dr. Parkins for their therapy. She has put them on a sticker reward chart for the week. For each portion of the day they are able to control their anger, they get a sticker. Getting the reward is determined by how many stickers they get. Next Wednesday we'll find out the results. Right now Sydnee is winning. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">After leaving our appointment, we went back to the hotel. I told the kids we were going to take a nap and the go check out something that is fun (it was about 11am at the time). Simon finally went to sleep. Sydnee and I slept until 1:30. I couldn't beleive it. But boy did I feel better. After getting up and out, we picked up some lunch and went to Winton Woods Harbor. We ate our lunch and then went out of the paddle boats. They had a lot of fun with that. We were only out there about 1 hour (which was plenty for me). It was sooooo hot! I just can't handle the heat like I used to. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Afterwards it was getting later in the day and we went to the dinner and the hotel. The next morning we went to the Sewing Expo. We were only there a couple of hours. It wasn't anything to brag about. I've seen better. But it was nice to go. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Finally we were back home. Then it was time to try and clean Mom's pool. It's a mess. We've been trying to get it opened, but apparently we aren't using enough chemicals even though we are using what Watsons told her to do. So again later tonight I will be over there to add chemicals and scrubbing the sides again. Then tomorrow I get to vacuum it. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">The problem of the week has been TV. Simon is literally obcessed with TV. I don't let him watch it constantly and never have. But he has now discovered that the hotel and Grandma has the Disney Channel. Many of those shows are way too old for him. But I still don't want him to sit and watch it constantly. He would sit in front of it for hours on in if I let him. So I have had to go to only letting him watch it for 30 minutes and then more can be determined later in the day. Then he goes on during the day of constant asking to watch more. It gets to where he asks every 20 minutes or so. That can make for a long day. When he is tired of hearing the word "no" he goes into a rage like you wouldn't believe. It goes on forever as if you just pulled his world out from under him. The drama that goes with it is unreal. And it gets him nowhere. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Well gotta go. We have to get ready for the 25th anniversary party at school. Mr Savage is having a big celebration. Then Grandmothers for her 89th birthday party.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span>CJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-61457214885826153992009-06-23T01:01:00.003-04:002009-06-23T01:13:50.099-04:00Allergy Appt<span style="font-family:arial;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Sydnee</span> and I had our allergy testing today. What fun! Well at least <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Sydnee</span> didn't think it was much fun. You know she's upset, when Simon was giving her hugs and trying to calm her down. Actually it wasn't that bad, but I think she is still dragging and a little moody. She made it through and the doctor told her she is allergic to cats, molds and dust mites. I am not allergic to anything in particular. He told me that the 14 years of allergy shots I had taken have finally worked. What great news. He told me once again for the third time to get <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Hepa</span> filters for our bedrooms. So instead of waiting for Mike once again on making a decision, I went to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Lowes</span> and got them. So we'll see what kind of a difference it makes. Since we have cats at home, they said there isn't any reason to take shots for cats. Good news for me.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Sydnee</span> is scheduled to have her nose <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">cauterized. She has nose bleed on a nearly daily basis. It sure gets old because she ruines her clothes, blankets, etc. She has had it done once about 3 years ago, but it's time to try it again. She is having it done on June 30.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected">I just got information for the kids to go to VBS at Hyland Park Baptist Church. I think I will go ahead and let them go, because of the timing. They would only miss one class due to appointments in Cinci. I'll find out tomorrow.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Simon has a sleep study appointment tomorrow in Cinci and they have their behavior appointments on Wednesday. There is a sewing show on Thursday, so I plan on going there. The kids will get to visit their new Lego store. </span></span>CJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185960234721381017.post-55886226167831612062009-06-23T00:21:00.008-04:002009-06-23T01:00:16.866-04:00Summer Camp for Sydnee<div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">What an interesting time it has been. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Sydnee</span> got to go to camp at Country Lake for Camp Freedom (disabilities camp with our church camp). She was on a waiting list, but ended up getting in at the last minute. Then at the last minute her best friend Olivia got to go. So <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Sydnee</span> was doubly excited. </span><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350377451742895810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 331px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SkBb8eFlHsI/AAAAAAAAAwU/azTemECXc2g/s400/100_0056.jpg" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350378310727988274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SkBcueDldDI/AAAAAAAAAwk/fHhQtO4Hw_Q/s400/100_0059.jpg" border="0" /> <div><div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">We got her all packed and ready to go. She was so ready and couldn't wait to meet up with Olivia. We met at our church and drove on up. We got to see where the girls would be bunking, eating, swimming, etc. They more they saw, the more they got excited. They started running around a little and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sydnee</span> hit her knee on a picnic table bench seat. Sure enough, she ended up with a bleeding boo boo. The counselors had to go to the office to get a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">bandaid</span>. Who would have thought someone would already get hurt just registering in.... Only <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Sydnee</span> would. </span></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350377244351965986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 375px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SkBbwZfuqyI/AAAAAAAAAwM/4GCds0-6k9s/s400/100_0055_0001.jpg" border="0" /> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">It was time for Mom's to go. And the girls had no problem. They didn't seem to mind. So off we went. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350378910033335266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SkBdRWpHU-I/AAAAAAAAAws/q7woGPbmonM/s400/100_0064_0001.jpg" border="0" /></span></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350377747703274434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 324px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4H7AmYulYRY/SkBcNsoCG8I/AAAAAAAAAwc/YXD3LcKyPME/s400/100_0067.jpg" border="0" /> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;">Saturday morning Simon came into the kitchen to ask me why Sydnee was home. I told him she wasn't home, she was up at camp. Then he said "Mom, she's in her room". So I told him to go in and double check, because that would have been a very long walk for her. He came back in with a silly grin on his face. "Nope, she isn't in there". I asked if he missed her and at first he said no, but then changed to a shy "yes". </span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">Mike ended up taking Simon to the lake with him later on Saturday. So I was home to do laundry. Whaoooo!</span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">On Sunday I drove up to get her and she was so tired. She said the teenage girls wouldn't stop talking at night. But she had a ball. She fell asleep within 5 minutes. After she woke up she told me a little more about her trip. Both girls decided to participate in the talent show. They got up on stage and danced to one of the songs in the movie "Curious George". The counselor told us it was like they had previously <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">coreographed</span> the whole thing. I couldn't believe they did it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">After we got home her and I cleaned her room. She wanted to take the books from her dollhouse with shelves to put her Polly Pockets in there. Not a problem. Now I have to figure out what we're going to do with her books. We ended up throwing away a full trash bag of garbage she has collected. And 2 large bags of stuff to give away. </span></div></div></div></div></div>CJnoreply@blogger.com0